


Draco's astonishing birthday

by Hbsj



Series: HermionexDraco fics [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, HP: EWE, Mating Bond, Not Epilogue Compliant, POV Draco Malfoy, Post-Hogwarts, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Sex, Veela Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 11:33:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13926291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hbsj/pseuds/Hbsj
Summary: Theo and Blaise take Draco out to celebrate his 21st birthday, but at the stroke of midnight everything changes and all Draco can feel and need is that captivatingly dark haired gorgeous woman at the bar. Only his parents forgot to tell him about his true heritage... (Veela-Draco!) Dramione! Mostly DM POV.Post-Hogwarts. Romance, humor and lemons/smutOne-shot Complete!





	Draco's astonishing birthday

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it! I had a lot of fun writing this little story :-)  
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!  
> The m-rating is for smut and language
> 
> HBSJ

"Come on Draco! How long can it possibly take to make you hair look like you've just stepped out of the shower?"

Draco scowled at the voice of his best friend coming from his lounge. He knew that Blaise had poured himself a firewhiskey from the small bar and was comfortable in there. They weren't in a rush, but it seemed that Blaise was impatient to get going. They were going out to celebrate Draco's 21st birthday but as his birthday actually was tomorrow and tomorrow was a Sunday, they were going out today. He looked at himself in the mirror. He had literally just stepped out of the shower, with just a towel around his waist. He sighed, he knew his mother and father had been expecting him at dinner both yesterday and today but it couldn't be helped, he didn't have the time yesterday because of work and today had been planned for weeks. He knew he had to go tomorrow, so he checked his stores of hangover potion in his bathroom cabinet, he'd had enough so dinner tomorrow wouldn't be all that bad. After he'd owled them this morning, saying he'd be there tomorrow, he'd had a thick letter from them this afternoon but he hadn't gotten around to reading it. He was sure it could wait and it seemed like a long one, probably lecturing him on his responsibilities from tomorrow and onwards. Blah blah.

"I'll be right out! Just pour yourself another whiskey while I get dressed!"

"Don't mind if I do." Blaise said cheerfully. Tonight would be epic. Theo and he had had it in the works for months. They'd be about 10-15 people tonight, mostly Slytherins and mostly women. They'd booked tables at three muggle clubs, all prepaid, so they could go whenever the wanted. They were all meeting at The Leaky Cauldron because they were going out in muggle London. He'd even invited a couple of people that Draco didn't know about, just in case all he needed was a drink to give him the courage. He and Theo had needed help with a couple of the muggle ways and he had invited his beautiful advisors. Tonight would just be awesome! He rubbed his tumbler. He'd had his eye on a couple of the women and tonight he would have just the right opportunity to show them why he was such a popular ladies man. Maybe even that one that he'd had repeated fantasies of, if she chose to show up.

Draco showed up in the doorway wearing black shoes, black slacks, a crisp white button up shirt and his trademark tousled hair. Blaise grinned at him. "Ready birthday boy?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Draco grinned right back at Blaise.

Blaise handed Draco a tumbler like his own and toasted. "May tonight be one of those that we'll always want to remember but one where we can't remember a thing!"

With their grins still in place, both men downed their drink and took the floo laughing to The Leaky Cauldron.

Draco arrived with Blaise to a storm of cheers and laughter. He was hugged, clapped on his back and kissed on his cheek by so many people that he didn't even recognize them all at first. Even so, he'd know Pansy Parkinson anywhere, she sauntered up to him after ruckus of his arrival had died down and purred at him with a playful expression. "Happy birthday Draco."

He kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you Pansy, you look lovely."

"Hmm…" She still had her playful look. "That wasn't exactly the look I was going for but I guess it will have to do." She shrugged.

After that it was all a blur, they had shots, drinks, toasts, loud conversations and Draco was starting to really appreciate Theo and Blaise's offer to arrange his birthday. He looked around and saw nothing but friends or pretty girls, this was absolutely perfect.

In the middle of his reverie, Blaise announced that it was time to go. Where they were going, he had no idea but he knew it must be by muggle transport because Blaise was leading them to the door to muggle London. Outside they were met with blaring music and bright neon colored lights. A bus was parked at the curb, doors open and the inside empty, except for the overflowing bar with a lovely scantily dressed female waitress.

"Shut your mouths' and hop on!" Blaise yelled laughing at them all gawking at the bus.

Theo were taking three lovely women that Draco had never seen in his life inside the bus. He offered his arm to Pansy next to him and the woman on his other side, whom he just now recognized at Daphne Greengrass from his year at Hogwarts. He smirked at both women. "Ladies, may I lead you into the bus?"

They both giggled and soon everyone was on the bus enjoying themselves immensely. Gregory Goyle was entertaining two women, Draco three, Blaise three and Theo two. Somehow, Pansy was enjoying Goyle's stories and the other woman was positively twinkling at him. Just then, the waitress pushed shots at them, something that he hasn't ever tasted before but he immediately ordered more of them and a half an hour later they were all quite drunk as they entered the first club.

It was early, so there weren't that many people out but they were shown to a table with a great vantage point and the night started to slip by easily. Everything was becoming more blurred and fun and soon they were all whisked off by Blaise and Theo to the next club, which was much more crowded. The music had a lot more bass in there and somehow it resonated within Draco. The bass felt like it was inside him, his heartbeat following the punishing beats. He shrugged it off, it must be the alcohol getting to him.

At a quarter to twelve Blaise and Theo started ordering lots and lots of champagne, more drinks and more shots.

"Mate!" Theo shouted over the blaring music. "Your birthday is coming right up, we'll make it unforgettable!"

Theo was gone before he could respond. The women in his party was dancing provocatively and so were most of the women in the club, he was definitely enjoying himself.

Everyone around him started to count down from 10. "Ten, nine, eight!"

He wasn't listening, he just grinned at his friends and their fantastic enthusiasm for this night out. No matter how much he had been drinking, and it was a lot, he still had a grasp on his sanity. That was a bit weird, he'd drunk more tonight than he'd had in years, but whatever, now it was his birthday!

"Three, two, one! Happy birthday!" Everyone shouted, hugging him, toasting and drinking and kept on partying, jumping up and down.

No one noticed that Draco had gone somewhat rigid. The beat inside him had quickened, his senses had all sharpened, he could smell every little scent in the club, his eyes found all the different colors in the lights and he felt like pure instinct. He didn't know what the hell was happening to him so he fled to the bathroom. Locking himself in, he tried to keep the panic at bay. What in Merlin's name was this?! He tried to grit his teeth but he couldn't! Long fangs sprouted as he caught the scent of something completely irresistible. It was vague but the only thing his newfound instincts told him, was to find the person attached to the scent.

He went back out into the club and took a deep breath. His entire body felt coiled, ready to spring. And then he found her, the owner of that intoxicating scent.

She stood with her back to him at the bar, wearing a short red dress that hugged the curves of her upper body, and flared out from her hips, stopping just above the middle of her thighs. It had a plunging open back and Draco started to literally salivate for this woman. She was slender, her curves were soft and her movements graceful. She had long softly curled chestnut hair that he longed to touch and tousle. He didn't notice anything else around him, he just marched purposefully up to her.

Only when he got closer did he vaguely notice that Blaise was talking to her and her friend, but it didn't matter, his friend wasn't interested in this amazing woman, he only really had eyes for the red head beside him.

He could feel her, he needed her.

He stopped right behind her, emanating whatever this was. It left him in ripples that his newly sharp eyes could almost see. For now, he had decided to embrace these feelings. The woman froze, her drink halfway to her mouth and turned around.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was shocked. The woman in front of him was Hermione Granger, looking completely delicious in her plunging red dress, exposing an edible amount of cleavage. She had a little make up on, sparse jewelry and was showing a lot of skin, he'd never seen her like this before. But somehow, this shock didn't manifest on his face or really in his feelings. He needed her badly.

At first she just stared at him, wide eyed and a bit of a smirk on her face. Then the look in those gold flaked chocolate brown eyes changed to unmistakable lust and her smirk widened.

That was it, that was all the confirmation he needed. He took one step forward which brought her entire body into contact with his and he tilted his head down and kissed her forcefully and possessively. His hands snaked around her tiny waist clinging her to him, holding her in an iron grasp and he knew that nothing would make him let go. She slipped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her.

The kiss was heaven. She tasted of spring, mojitos and forever. He begged for entry into her mouth, biting her plump soft lower lip lightly and kissed her again and again. When she opened her mouth like a flower to him, he groaned loudly, the sound vibrating through them both, sending them into a frenzy of movements, his cock growing quickly.  
He lifted her, still clinging her to him, carried her bridal style to a quiet corner of the club and dissaparated to his flat with her still kissing him. Suddenly everything was quiet, except them. They were both moaning loudly, not wanting to let go of the other. He'd apparated straight into his bedroom, wanting nothing more than to be inside her and mark her as his. This was exactly right. This was just as it was supposed to be. He couldn't even explain why.

He placed her on his large king size bed, still kissing her hungrily and she kissed him right back, grinding her hips against his erect length. Those strange waves were still emanating from him, he didn't know how to stop it and he didn't really want to. This was so intense and everything he had ever wanted. He was sure that none of his friends knew that he'd had a crush on the Gryffindor princess for years and years. Ever since she'd hit him in the third year, he had been absorbed by her, something had changed in him that day. She had starred in almost every fantasy he'd had and now, touching her, it was better than he'd ever imagined!

She moaned loudly and his remaining shred of self-control almost snapped. He started tearing her clothes off her, he needed her naked. She did the same to him, bits of clothing flew in every direction until they were both flushed up against one another naked, kissing, touching and biting everywhere they could reach. He kissed her neck, finding the sensitive spot below her ear, making her moans even louder. Her hands snaked down his body, touching and pinching and ended closed around his steel hard length. He couldn't take it any longer, he needed to be inside her.

He moved his mouth to her nipple, sucking hard, leaving love bites everywhere on her soft silky white skin. One hand was playing with her other nipple and as he moved his mouth to the other side, he moved his hand slowly down towards her soft center. He was met with soft curls and more grinding of her hips. He toyed with her curls, pulling them a little and stroking gently up and down, while he was caressing her nipples and kissing her repeatedly. Her movements became more urgent as he moved his long fingers over her clit, she jumped and moved, wanting more friction. He obliged.

He moved one finger inside her. She was dripping wet, so ready for him. As he moved another finger to join the first inside her, he moved his thumb over her clit, making her tremble with pleasure. All the while, she was playing with his cock, moving her hand up and down gently, sometimes stoking him with just her fingernails. That almost sent him over the edge. Just as she moved all five nails from one hand up his entire length, ending at the top of his head, his self-control completely vanished. He needed her right now.  
He moved on top of her, entering her while kissing and caressing her. She was so tight that he almost came right then and there. Fuck! She felt perfect! With just a brief pause to check that she was okay, he started to move. And she moved with him. It felt like two puzzle pieces fitting together as though they were made for this, made only for each other.  
He moved his thumb to her clit while moving in an out of her. Taking her to the hilt of his penis and moving almost completely out of her with a punishing slow rhythm. And then she started to scream and shout at him not to stop. Their movements took on a life on its own and he was entranced. She would be the only one for him, ever. He knew it in every bone in his body and every ounce of his soul.

The next thing he did, he wouldn't quite be able to recall clearly in the years to come. He then leaned down, kissed her at the base of her neck, licked her in the same spot and then bit her, hard. His fangs moving into her skin making her bleed. Only this didn't seem to bother her at all, quite the contrary. She was gripping him, moving faster and faster and as he bit her for the second and third time, she screamed his given name and came unraveled and he came right along with her. Her walls were clenching around him while he was shouting his pleasure loudly into her, pumping again and again, giving her everything he could until he had no more to give for now.

They slumped, holding each other tightly for a long time. He knew something significant had happened but he wasn't able to hold on to the thought before he drifted off.  
After what felt like a long time, she lifted her head, smiled lazily at him. "I've wanted you to do that to me for years."

He grinned just as lazily. "So have I, you've been my favorite fantasy Granger, and now I know exactly why. You are so much better than my imagination could ever dream up."  
She kissed him and moved to straddle him. She bent down and kissed him again, softly but demanding. "I'll show you just how good I can be." She said against his mouth and he hardened immediately. She sat down on top of him and started to ride him. He had never seen anything more amazing and more beautiful. Her hair swinging, breasts bouncing, mouth open in silent moans, touching herself and looking at him with hooded lust-filled eyes. He grabbed her hips to help with her movements. He was certain that this was what life was all about, having the woman he loved in his bed bouncing up and down on his cock.

Wait, love? He looked at her, not pausing in his movements. She was completely absorbed in her own pleasure and she was amazing. Obsession for sure, he had dreamt of nothing but her when they'd both drifted off and for a good many nights before this too. He looked at her again, did he love her? The answer was obvious, yes of course he loved her, he'd loved her for years, he just hadn't realized it. She was marked by him, she was his now, forever. He didn't know how he knew that, he just knew. He felt at peace, it felt as though something inside of him sighed and smiled contentedly at that realization.

He moved now with more deliberate force, driving his cock deeper inside her every time she came fully down on him. This increased volume of the sounds she was starting to make and as he sat up, moved his hands to her perfect ass and started kissing her, she came undone around him and he loved it. She tensed up and clenched his cock forcefully. Looking at her uninhibited pleasure took him right over the edge along with her and he grunted into her mouth as he released inside her.

They spent the entire night talking and fucking. He felt insatiable and so did she apparently, he couldn't get enough of her. He took her several times, most times at her initiative and he showed her his skills at oral sex which she demonstrated right back. He had apologized for the bite marks on her but she didn't mind, she just told him that in some way she had known it was coming and so it hadn't hurt her at all. Even now the small wounds weren't even sore.

Somehow the both of them were insatiable for each other and only when light was starting to seep through the windows, did they fall asleep together.

A few hours later he awoke to the sleeping form of Hermione Granger in his arms and it felt so right. Her long curls were everywhere on both his and her body as they lay tangled together in bed. She was facing him and he stared at her fascinated. She was bloody gorgeous. Beautiful eyes, though they were closed now, perfect small nose, small freckles on her nose and cheeks, clear silky skin and a perfect full rosy mouth that was just so kissable.

So he kissed her, he couldn't resist it and she kissed him right back without opening her eyes and moaned softly into his mouth. His body was instantly lit on fire by that small sound and he almost jumped her. They had sex another two times before she had to go. She had a lunch with Ginny Weasley. Vaguely he remembered that Blaise were talking to her yesterday by the bar next to Hermione. Hmm, he had seemed to be focused solely on Hermione, he wondered why that was. But right now, with her in his bed, he didn't care. This was where she was supposed to be.

"So, thank you for last night and this morning Draco. We seem to fit well together." She smiled and kissed him, sitting on the edge of his bed still naked but moving to get dressed.

"Your understatement is epic Granger." He answered dryly. "But yes, I need you back here soon. When will I see you again?"

"Soon huh? How about tonight?" She looked positively wickedly at him. She pursed her full rosy lips with a glint in her eyes and he was spellbound yet again.

"I have dinner with my parents, but after? I'll come to you as soon as I can. What's your address?" He was a bit anxious now, he needed to see her tonight, he needed her with him every day but how to tell her that without seeming like a stalker? Fuck, he was turning into such a girl.

She told him her address so he could floo to her, while she got dressed. As he received the information he needed, his equilibrium returned, she wanted this just as much as he did. He stood, in all his naked glory and took her to his floo so she could return home. She told him that even though it was Ginny she would be seeing, she didn't want to wear the same outfit as yesterday, that would be much too obvious. He couldn't help but grin at that and she grinned right back. In his lounge she leaned into him and he clutched her in his arms and kissed her tenderly. He wanted more but he knew she had to go and he had to go see his parents. She kissed him back with enthusiasm, she wanted more too. Merlin, he would have to take care not to seem like a stalker to her. At last she eased out of their embrace and stepped to the floo, throwing in the powder and shouting her address clearly and a moment later he was alone in his lounge, butt naked.

First things first, a shower was needed. He grabbed his wand in the bedroom, started the water and heated it to just before scorching, just the way he liked it. After a lengthy shower, he donned his green robe and thought about making some food. Only now did he realize that he was absolutely starving. Also, he didn't even have a hangover. Huh, that was strange. He hadn't needed his hangover potions. He made bacon and eggs using his wand, made a quick coffee and sat down at the kitchen table.

Just as he'd taken the first bite, he heard the telltale whoosh of his floo. Someone had arrived in his lounge. Not bothering to get up, he saw Blaise's bloodshot eyes in the doorway, followed by Theo's loud laughter in the hallway.

"Hey Draco, how about a cup of coffee?" Blaise asked, looking exhausted.

"No thanks, I've got one." He knew that wasn't what Blaise was asking but he felt perfectly fine, so he smiled and motioned to his cup and Blaise and Theo, looking incredulous at him, looked like shite. His smile widened as he sipped his coffee.

"You're a real dick, you know that?" Theo said, moving into the kitchen waving his wand once in the direction of the fancy coffee machine in Draco's kitchen.  
Draco snorted and started laughing at his friends, who were now both fighting for the first cup of coffee. "You are both pathetic but please, have a cup of my good coffee and join me." He gestured towards the other chairs around his kitchen table.

"Don't you have any hangover potion, I'm out." Theo gulped his cup of coffee standing up and moving to make another cup of coffee. "Come on Drake, tell me where it is, you look perfectly fine, help us out here!"

He was in a great mood, so laughed again and pointed towards the bathroom. "In the cabinet in there."

Both Blaise and Theo almost ran to the bathroom, each gulping down a potion and returning looking somewhat restored to their former selves, with Theo moving to the stove, making him and Blaise eggs and bacon too.

"Please help yourselves to anything in my flat you should desire." Draco mocked them. They both scowled at him, Theo continuing his cooking.

After they were all fed, had another cup of coffee Theo looked at both Blaise and Draco, almost yelling at them. "Mates, spill! How was the Gryffindor princesses yesterday?!"

Blaise grinned at Theo but Draco's entire demeanor changed perceptively and he leveled a stony look at Theo. "That is none of your concern." He answered coldly.

Blaise, still grinning, said "I'm not saying much but I am definitely seeing her again, that's for sure!"

"Come on guys! Give me the deets! I need info! I struck out last night, ending up dunk-cuddling my pillow, sadly enough but you two took home the gold! The red and gold literally. I need details!" Theo whined loudly drinking his fourth or maybe fifth cup of coffee.

Draco rolled his eyes at Theo. "I'm agreeing with Blaise, I'm saying nothing but I am definitely seeing her again."

"Dammit, you two are fucking annoying, I can't believe this, I need new friends who doesn't hold out on me." Theo said moodily, staring daggers at his two mates.

"Theo, relax, this just means that we don't want to spoil our chances with these two fantastic women. If we blow it, however, you will get some of the deets." Blaise said, mollifying Theo somewhat.

"I am not going to tell any of you ever. Last night and hopefully whatever is going to happen between us, is private." Draco stated, looking levelly at his best friends. He knew they wouldn't like it but it wasn't up to them. What he had experienced last night with Hermione was very private, he didn't even really know what it was, and it was certainly none of his friends' concern.

When they'd left him to his own thoughts about an hour later, he walked through his flat thinking about the Gryffindor. As he walked into his lounge and saw the letter from his parents on his coffee table. It was quite a thick letter, compared to the usual short information they sent him. He thought nothing more of it and opened the letter.

As he read, his reading became much more hysterical and panicked. He ran both hands through his hair and read the letter again, trying to take it in. He got up, determined to see his parents right now. He dressed at top speed, rushing into the lounge, pocketing the letter and flooing to the manor.

He was met by a large empty lounge, his parents nowhere in sight. He was completely frantic, he needed answers now. His parents letter made no sense to him. It couldn't be. This couldn't be happening to him. He sank to the floor, clutching the letter in his pocket, breathing hard. The words from the letter swam before his eyes and he felt, for the first time in his life, like blacking out. I would give him a break from this, from the panic, from his heart pounding in his chest like a drum roll. Somewhere in the back of his mind though, he kept on wondering what Hermione was doing. No! This was bollocks! There was no way he, Draco Malfoy, was losing control over himself like this! His body felt like it was snapping in half. Except, this was exactly what his father had described in the letter… Fucking hell. He had to get a grip. Standing up, he tried to calm his breathing. His parents had a lot of explaining to do, that was for sure.

He called one of the house elves who informed him that his parents were taking a walk in the rose garden, enjoying the beautiful day. He ran outside, spotting them on the far side of the garden and took long strides to get there as soon as possible. He was in a real state of alarm now. Could it be true? Surely not.

Just then his mother looked up and spotted him rushing towards them. She nudged her husband and spoke softly to him. His head snapped up, his arm protectively around his wife, looking intently at his son hurrying towards them with a panicked expression on his face. Something had happened yesterday, Lucius was certain of that and looked at his approaching son with narrowed eyes.

"What the hell is happening to me?! What is this?" Draco waved the letter in front of his parents agitatedly. "Why haven't you told me earlier?!" He sank to the ground in front of them, clutching his face, his completely breathing out of control now.

His mother stooped down to caress his cheeks and pulled his head to face hers. "Darling, please don't panic, we will explain everything. This is not the end, it's just a new beginning." She smiled at him and pulled him gently upright.

"What happened yesterday? Who did you meet?" His father's uncanny ability to see right through him had yet to fail them.

Draco met his father's eyes levelly. "I met a woman, one I know from Hogwarts. We spent the night together."

"Who? Did you mark her?" Lucius' eyes were wide now, worried for his son.

"Draco, my love, tell us everything. We need to know in order for us to help you."

Draco looked from his mother to his father and back, not really wanting to tell them anything. Just as with his friends, what had happened yesterday was private. He needed clear answers though. The letter had only increased his confusion. But he didn't speak, he wasn't really sure what to say.

His father cleared his throat. "Draco, I am half Veela, which means you are quarter Veela and it would seem as though you have already found your mate."

"Veela? I'm a Veela? And mate? What do you mean 'mate'? In the letter you only advised me not to be with anyone until we had spoken today." He stared wide eyed at both of his parents in utter disbelief. "But I have been with someone. Something happened to me yesterday. I could feel and smell her from afar, I needed her badly and it seemed as though she needed me. Is it all just magic and not real?"

"I think we all need tea and talk my darlings, follow me." Narcissa swept regally between them towards the manor, trailed by the two blonde men in her life. It would seem as though her son had found his mate already and someone from school. At least it was a witch, she was grateful for that, though she had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to the story. Draco hadn't told her and Lucius the woman's name. It would seem they were in for an interesting afternoon.

Both men followed the Malfoy matriarch silently, both contemplating what had just passed between them. Draco couldn't believe what his father had told him. He couldn't be a Veela, he was pureblood, his father had emphasized that all his life. He felt blindsided. This meant that his paternal grandmother was a Veela. She had died when he was little so he'd never known her. His mind kept going in circles while he walked somewhat blindly in to the manor.

His mother directed the house elves to bring tea in the lounge and they sat down on the large sofas, his mother and father next to each other holding hands. He waited, they had some explaining to do.

"Draco," his father drawled, "I am well aware that this is hard to take in but you are indeed quarter Veela. A trait you have inherited from my mother. Your mother is my mate. We are mated for life, I marked her six months after the traits started to manifest themselves. It starts on your twenty first birthday and when you find your mate, you are aware of nothing but her." He looked lovingly at his wife. "It would seem as though you are so lucky as to find her on your birthday. Who is she and did you mark her?"

Draco looked disbelievingly at his parents, surely this was some sort of sick joke. "Do you seriously mean that Hermione Granger is my mate for life? Fuck." He stared blindly at the table in front of him.

Both of his parents reacted at the same time.

"GRANGER?!" His father stood up instantly and started pacing the room agitatedly.

"The Granger-girl? As in Harry Potters best friend and ex to the Weasley kid?" His mother stayed much more composed. She knew the match would shock many people but she also knew that Draco would never have mated with her if the connection wasn't true.

Draco nodded to his mother and ignored his father's spewing of different oaths around the room.

"Did you mark her?" His mother's eyes pierced him.

"Mark her how?"

"Did your fangs appear during the night you spent together and did you bite her with them?"

"Yes, more than once."

"Then you did mark her. It would seem as though Hermione Granger is indeed your mate for life."

He looked incredulously at his mother, she seemed so calm. How could she keep her calm? Didn't she know what had happened? Her daughter-in-law would be, or already sort of was, Hermione Granger, Gryffindor princess and darling of the wizarding world. But she didn't seem fazed by it at all. She smiled at him. "I will look forward to getting grand-children soon." She almost seemed happy. Lucius came out of his trance-like state at her words.

"Narcissa, are you truly happy about this? Our son had mated with the best friend of the Potter and one of the Golden Trio."

"Yes Lucius, I truly am happy about this. Miss Granger has great intelligence and she will keep Draco, and us, on our toes. She is beautiful and she will challenge and support our son, just as I have challenged and supported you through all of these years. I will hear no bad words from you about her, she will be our daughter-in-law and I am certain that we will love her, just at Draco loves her." She looked at her son and then to her husband. "Oh, pull yourself together my love, you look like a fish out of water. She will be a perfect addition to our family. We just have to apologize over and over to her in order for her to accept us. And yes Lucius, you will apologize right along with me."

Lucius looked at his wife, opened his mouth to say something, closed it, turned around and turned back to Narcissa, he was dumbfounded.

"Draco, please, go to Hermione and explain. We will love to meet her when she is ready to meet us. It seems as though your father and I have to talk. Lucius, please calm down. You should be happy, our son has found his mate and she has accepted his mark."

Draco stared wide-eyed at his parents and his mother smiled. His father still hadn't said a word since he was told it was Hermione.

"Okay, I'll owl you later or tomorrow." He kissed his mother on the cheek and left his parents through the floo. The last thing he saw was his mother calming his father down.  
Back in his apartment he rushed to his bedroom and changed out of his soiled clothes, grabbing whatever was closest. He hurried to his bathroom and splashed water on his face.

Okay, he knew her address and he needed her desperately. He flooed to her, shouting out her address and was transported to her flat in whirl of green flames.

He arrived in a quaint lounge with plush blush-colored sofas, many books in piles on every surface, pillows on the sofas and a large furry red cat with a squashed face sitting in the center of room on the floor. He called her name but no one answered. He moved a couple of steps into the room and the cat moved towards him, looking at him with large yellow eyes. He had the absurd notion that the cat was some sort of guardian. This must mean that she wasn't home from her lunch yet. The cat stalked slowly towards him and started sniffing around his legs. It seemed to accept him, sort of. So he sat on one of the comfy sofas, not daring to go further into her flat and the cat jumped up on the sofa to face him. He looked at it and it purred, moving closer. It nudged his hand pointedly and he instinctively stroked the cat. It stretched and lay down beside him, still purring. He was not happy about the cat hairs all over his black slacks but really, if this cat meant something to Hermione, it meant something to him too.

He took a closer look around the room. There were many many books all over every surface of the room. Both muggle and wizarding books alike. There were a lot of small items all around as well, little nick-nacks everywhere. Pictures of her with friends, her parents but none of her with a boyfriend. Good. On top of the nearest book-pile, was Hogwarts: A History, of course. Even years later she must still love that book. He grabbed it and started to read. After a few chapters he dozed off with the cat purring next to him.  
He awoke by whoosh of the floo, Hermione was home. Finally.  
________________________________________

She stopped dead one step into her lounge. On her sofa, sprawled out and stroking Crookshanks dazedly, was Draco. Last night and this morning had seemed like a dream all day but he was here in all his magnificence. She had changed her wards before leaving for lunch with Ginny, just in case he decided to come by. And here he was and he was glorious. She had felt like being near him all day but now she was nervous. What if this was just a one-time thing? She wouldn't accept that, being with him had felt so… right.  
He opened his eyes blearily and melted instantly at the sight and smell of her. He leaped up, startling Crookshanks, who hissed at the interruption and left the room. He took a few measured steps to get to her and she smiled at him.

"You're here."

"Of course, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than with you"

Her heart fluttered. "Are you sure? I mean…"

"I have something to tell you. I've only just found out this afternoon but before I tell you, I have a question. Do you want to be with me?" His heart thumped loudly in his chest. What if she said no? He would waste away without her.

"Yes." She didn't hesitate. He smiled widely and kissed her softly. He took her to the sofa and sat with her on his lap, as close as possible albeit with clothes on, he needed to keep his focus when telling her everything.

"I went to see my parents today, and they told me that I am not a pureblood wizard. You can imagine initial shock." He smiled impishly. "I am a quarter Veela." He paused to gauge her reaction. She just looked at him a bit wide-eyed. He was certain that that big brain of hers had already calculated all possible outcomes of this short statement. So he continued. "Since Blaise invited you and Ginny, you know that today is my twenty-first birthday which we were out celebrating yesterday. At twelve o'clock everything changed for me. All of my senses sharpened and all I could feel, smell, hear was you and it scared me at first, I didn't know what was happening to me. I fled to the bathroom, took a few deep breaths and decided to follow my instincts to find you. And there you were by the bar, looking completely fantastic. I don't know if you know this but I've had a crush on you for a while now. I am totally infatuated with you just as you are, I think you are amazing and that you can accomplish everything you want. I have no wish to hinder any of your dreams and I will do anything to help you reach any peak you want." They both smiled at each other and kissed a bit more. He felt at peace with her in his arms and continued talking, looking straight into her eyes. "With your vast knowledge of everything, I'm sure you already know how this Veela-thing works. We slept together yesterday and I unknowingly marked you as mine, I know I should be sorry about that but I'm not. You are my mate and there is only one woman for me, that will never change until my dying breath. But…" He hesitated and became very anxious. "Will you be mine?"

She took a deep breath and he couldn't blame her, he had given her an awful large amount of information in a very short period of time. But she kept their eye contact.  
"Yesterday, this morning and now, it feels so right. I want to be with you. Talking to Ginny today, I didn't want to tell her a thing about us, though she asked so many questions because it feels private. It feels like a thing between just you and me." She raised one hand to cup his cheek. "Somehow, you must have imbibed some Veela magic in me because the marks you gave me have been tingling gently all day and ever since I got home, with you being here, it's become a positive thrumming all through my body. Being with you is as though I have found the place I want to be. So yes, I will be yours, with all that this entails. It might be the magic that is doing this to me but I have a confession to make."

She looked sheepish and he was intrigued. "Yesterday, when Ginny and I had received Blaise's invite to your birthday, I desperately wanted to go. Both Ginny and I have been weirdly attracted to you two Slytherin's you know." She smiled timidly and he couldn't help but give her a swift kiss and pull her closer. "I have been attracted to you for a while, but you've always seemed so stern and cross when I've seen you. So… I sort of hoped that you would notice me yesterday. And you did." She smiled widely and her eyes were full of emotion, beaming at him.

He gulped, he should have made some sort of move a long time ago. He'd had a crush on her for years during their Hogwarts days, during the war and after. He had done so much wrong and he knew he didn't deserve her but he wanted her so much. The short time she had spent in the manor during the war had been haunting him. His own regrets and her screams have woken him up more than once. Except now she was looking at him with eyes filled with love and lust. They had both changed a lot since then.

"Of course I noticed you. I have noticed you for longer than I care to think about. I have made so many wrongs in my life, you will be my one right."

She smiled again but shook her head. "I know I am not your only right and I know I won't be your only right." She leaned in to kiss him and she deepened the kiss quickly. She needed him closer, much closer, the thrumming in her body was reaching a peak.

He was all too happy to oblige, if she was done talking then so was he. He knew deep in his bones that he would always give her all she wanted. So he tightened his hold on her, asked for directions and carried her straight to her bedroom.

Again, they spent all night together, talking, sleeping and having lots and lots of sex. He was in love with her for sure. She was amazing and everything he could ever want. In a dazed moment between love-making, spooning with her and holding her close, he whispered out his love for her.

She heard him and smiled.  
________________________________________

Hermione was nervous. She was waiting for Harry and Ron to arrive. She had made tea and cake for them, Draco had wanted to help but he was way too distracting, so she'd had to send him home. She didn't have anywhere she needed to be and the waiting was killing her. She had been seeing Draco for a couple of months now and only Ginny and Luna knew. She hadn't seen her two best friends in almost six months. Harry had been so busy working for the Auror department and Ron had been just as busy working with George at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, so they hadn't been able to catch up for so long. And now she was going to tell them both about Draco.

She knew that Draco had tried to make an effort with Harry long before everything with her and Draco had happened. She started to daydream a bit. Every time she was with him, it almost seemed like a dream. Even meeting his parents for the first time had gone unexpectedly well and now they visited the manor once a week. Both Lucius and Narcissa had been very gracious and nice and she and Narcissa had really taken to each other. It hadn't gone quite so well at first when Draco had met her parents. Her dad had been very stand-offish, as Draco had been the one who had bullied her all through school. Draco had taken it in stride and after speaking with her dad alone for over an hour, they had emerged into the kitchen, the best of friends and both of her parents had now become quite fond of Draco.

Draco. Her life had changed since his birthday. There was no doubt in her mind that it was just them now. Her fumbling attempt at a relationship with Ron seemed like a bit of a joke now in comparison. Back then it wasn't an equal relationship, she and Ron had never been equals in so many ways. She loved him, he was a great friend, but only a friend. Her relationship with Draco was completely different. He challenged her every single day, especially intellectually and it was incredible.

She was startled out of her reverie by a knock on her door. Of course Harry would insist that they arrive the muggle way. He didn't really like just barging in to people's homes unannounced, unless it was on official auror business. Okay, here goes nothing, she went down the hall to open the door.

Harry and Ron was there, beaming at her with wide grins and pulling her into prolonged hugs. "Hermione! It's so good to finally see you! I've missed you!" Harry almost shouted in her ear.

"Mione! Good to see you! I'm starving." Ron also shouted at her.

"Come on in, I've got tea ready." She beamed at the two men.

They all moved into her kitchen, where she had set the table and the tea and cake was still warm due to her warming spell. Ron sat down and dug in straight away. Nothing had changed since their school days.

Harry and Hermione sat down and Harry turned to her. "So, how are you doing Hermione? We've missed you terribly."

Taking a bit of a cowards route she deflected. "I'd rather know what you've been up to! I'm happy to see you in one piece."

"Taking on a lot of the dark wizards is hard work but I love it. I'm always busy and it's definitely exciting work."

Ron swallowed his tenth mouthful of cake. "I'm good and business is good, always lots of kids around and my dad stopping by to see the new muggle tricks in. George says hi by the way and mum invites you to the burrow whenever you want, you can just owl her. Dad says hi as well and wants explanation of something I can't remember the name of, some walk-sound-thing, he didn't understand Harry's explanation."

"It's a walkman Ron." Harry said exasperated and rolled his eyes at Hermione. "And now you know all about us, what about you?"

She sighed and took a deep breath. "Okay. Please don't freak out. I'm seeing someone. Someone you both already know." She eyed them both, and they stared at her. "Promise me you won't freak out!"

"Err, I don't know if we can promise that, but we will try." Harry said.

At the same time, Ron had already started to freak out. "Who is it?!"

"Calm down Ron." She said levelly. "I'm seeing Draco Malfoy." She stayed in her seat calmly during the brief chaos that ensued.

Ron jumped up, shouting and cursing, rushing towards the door and Harry hurried up to stop him and guided him back to his seat.

"What are you seeing HIM for?! He's horrible!" Ron shouted at her. "This must be a joke! Tell me you're kidding Hermione!"

"Ron, it's no joke, I'm in love with him and I want you two to get to know the real him."

"NO! You must've been confounded! Finite!" He waved his wand at her. Nothing changed.

She turned with a pleading look to Harry. He looked a bit red-faced.  
"Hermione, are you sure? I mean, you're in love with him. Wow. That's a bit of a shock, but I've spoken to him a couple of times since the war and we've been amicable. It has seemed as though he has changed. I've seen it."

Ron was spluttering next to them but Hermione kept talking to Harry, he seemed the most levelheaded.

"I'm completely sure, I can't imagine my life without him anymore and I don't want to. I want to be with him and I want you two to accept it. You've both given me so much crap to deal with over the years, so you two ought to be able to deal with this."

"It's Draco-BLOODY-Malfoy Hermione! He's foul, awful, disgusting, ferret…" His shouting merged into a mutinous muttering and Hermione couldn't help but smile.  
"Look, I love you both very much and I want to keep you both a very integral part of my life, but Draco will be a part of my life as well and I need the both of you,-" She looked very pointedly at Ron. "-to be okay with this."

"I will NOT be okay with this. He doesn't deserve you."

"That's not up to you Ron. I'm not sure if I deserve him, just so we're clear about that."

"Okay, maybe we need a break, sleep on it and meet up tomorrow. Ron and I are off the rest of the day. I'll talk to him. I'm not necessarily happy about this but I think I could be. Are you happy?"

"I'm very happy, to be honest I've never been happier."

"So far so good. Ron, pull yourself together and let's go. I think we need to talk, Hermione is right, you have to calm down."

Ron was still spluttering as Harry pulled him forcefully out the front door. Hermione smiled to herself, she was sure it was going to be all right. It had gone better than she had imagined. She knew Harry would accept her relationship and with Harry's acceptance, Ron would follow, at least eventually.  
With that comforting thought, she moved to her floo to be with Draco.

\- The end -

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't forget to kudo and comment!
> 
> HBSJ


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